Light Me Up
by hufflepuff-ish
Summary: After a long day at work, the only things Caroline wants to do is eat something and rest, but the guy she's been thinking about for the past two weeks is waiting at her door, and she isn't going to tell him to leave. (Human AU)


**Author's note:** Hi, welcome to my first Klaroline fanfiction! So, this is currently a one-shot but depending on the feedback I'll get for this, I might turn this into a three parts story. I have a long multi-chapter Klaroline fanfiction that I'm planning and will post at some point, though.

This is part of my OTPs project, where I post a one-shot for my OTPs, so going to work on a Bonnie/Enzo one-shot next, and a Nora/Mary Louise is also planned for the future.

Let me know what you think (English isn't my native language, just staying). **Also, I do now own Vampire Diaries or Klaus or Caroline, and all rights go to the creators of the show and Julie Plec.**

* * *

The radio softly plays a pop song as my car moves under the orange light of the street lamps. I hum along to the song, dreaming about the moment I'll get home, change into something more comfortable and plop down on the couch to catch up with one reality show or another. It isn't very exciting, but after spending most of my day in meetings or making calls, relaxing and watching something that doesn't require too much thinking on TV sounds perfect.

It takes me a few tries to get into the parking spot near my apartment and I'm _this_ close to start cursing out loud at the unfamiliar car that is making this process harder than usual. _Who the hell even drives a jeep around here?_ But, just then, I manage to position my car between the other two, almost in parallel to the sidewalk. _Good enough,_ I tell myself and sigh. I put the car into Parking and pull up the hand brake, relieved to be home and that tomorrow is the weekend.

After taking an extra half minute to switch from the flip flops that I always have in my car and put the high heels that I was wearing throughout this entire day back on, I grab my bag, turn off the car, lock it and head towards the apartment building in front of me. Most of the windows are lit and I feel jealous of all the families that live around me. I make myself a mental note to consider going to visit Mom over the weekend. Growing up, with my Dad living out of town and my mom working long shifts as a police officer, I spent a lot of time at home alone, so I'm used to it. However, sometimes I do wish that someone would be waiting for me when I get back home and I silently curse my single life.

Every step I take feels heavy and I contemplate walking barefoot the rest of the way, yet it feels like a tad too much on my part. It takes me a moment to notice someone standing next to the entrance; a man. I can't see his features well in the shadows, but I can tell it isn't one of my neighbors and irritation immediately sparks inside of me. Now tense, I try to ignore the stranger while wondering who the hell does he think he is, standing like this in the darkness. _Creep._

Climbing up the few steps to the entrance, I keep my gaze focused on the glass door. Then, a clear throating catches my attention. Instinctively, I turn my gaze to the stranger and see that he's not entirely in the dark, with a light illuminating half of his face. A step later, I come to a stop, still looking at the man. My lips part in surprise as I realize that he's not at all a stranger and memories from two weeks ago come rushing back.

"Klaus," I breathe and a moment later I want to hit myself for the stupid reaction.

"Hello, love," he smirks and leaves the pillar that he was leaning against. In a very Klaus-like manner, he simply stares back at me, not bothering to explain what he's doing here. I raise my eyebrows at him with a silent question. "I thought I should make sure your electricity hasn't been acting up again."

A half-smile uncontrollably spreads across my lips at the fake excuse. I roll my eyes and continue my way to the door, the reflection on the glass showing me that Klaus follows me, still smirking. I hold the door for him once I open it and when he comes inside, I continue to ignore him to press on the elevator button. My stomach is filled with butterflies as he comes to stand next to me, even though there's a decent distance between us. The last time he came over we had a good time, but I never thought I'd see him again.

"You know, most people let you know if they're planning to stop by your house uninvited," I say in fake, almost scolding like tone, watching the numbers above the elevator door change as it heads to the entrance floor.

"Well, you probably remember I mentioned that my sister lives close by—" he starts explaining, his gaze set forward like mine.

Tilting my head, I finally look at him again, hiding my amusement with a frown. "I thought she lived halfway across town?"

Klaus ignores me and I have to stop myself from smirking. "—And I thought, why not stop by to see how your electricity is after last time."

His blue eyes meet my own and shivers run down my spine. Last time. Images of clothes scattered across the floor and skin against skin flash through my mind before I blink them away. Heat rises inside of me at the memories of us rolling between my sheets and I try to subtly take in a long breath to keep the blush from potentially reaching my cheeks.

"I thought your main field of expertise is art," I challenge him moments before the elevator arrives.

The metallic doors open and I enter, briefly noticing how my hair got messier throughout the day. _Of course, I have to look messier than usual when Klaus is stopping by_. When I come to stand with my back to my reflection, I notice Klaus is standing in the doorway. His expression is now more serious, making me tense for some reason.

"I will leave if I'm unwanted here, darling," he says, his blue eyes studying me. "All you have to do is say."

For a moment, I'm purely surprised by this side of him. We don't know too much about each other, yet, after how confident he was throughout the first and only time we met, which led us here, I didn't expect him to suddenly become so careful. Then, I wonder what my answer is. The random showing up is certainly unexpected, but I can't find it in myself to tell him to go. Nor do I want him to go. Sure, we had a one-night stand, but I can't say Klaus isn't intelligent, smart or funny.

"Stay," I say quietly. It's enough to make him fight back a smile and step inside of the elevator.

The journey to the third floor passes in silence, though our gazes do meet once. When we walk out of the elevator, I find the right key on my chain and put it into my apartment's lock. The TV can be heard playing from the apartment on our left, while I try to concentrate on the politics that are being discussed on whichever channel is on, rather than on how good Klaus' cologne smells.

My apartment is slightly tidier than it was the last time Klaus walked into it, but the fact that he's already seen it in a worse state comforts me. I let him inside before locking the door behind us and from the corner of my eye, I see him standing only a few feet away, waiting for me. It makes me feel nervous. What's next? What's his plan? Because I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Maybe I should have kept the door unlocked.

Once I put my key on my dining table and take off my high heels, my gaze meets Klaus' and I cross my arms over my chest. "So?" I ask. Klaus raises his eyebrows in fake innocence. "What are you really doing here? Because I'm so tired that I don't think I'm even going to be able to stay awake through tonight's entire episode of the Amazing Race."

"I assume that the electricity is just fine, then," he replies, his dimple appearing as amusement is written all over his face. It doesn't take long for it to replaced by a more serious look. "The truth is… I tried to stop thinking about you, and I can't."

His gaze is intense and my stomach fills with butterflies. He looked at me in a somewhat similar way two weeks ago, when I told him that my apartment isn't far from the restaurant we were sitting at, only this time there's a different meaning to the way he's looking at me. It makes me believe him. If he was practically any other guy, I would think he's lying because he's lonely or simply because we had a good time in bed. However, saying that we _only_ had a one-night stand is not accurate — we sat at the restaurant for an hour and a half before we came here, a light banter entertaining us both. Klaus seemed to enjoy hearing me talk, if not ramble, and he had my interested when he explained to me how the artist whose piece is hanging above my couch needed to work on his brushstrokes and his compositions.

The truth is, I haven't stopped thinking about Klaus either. I won't pretend that it isn't because of the way he looks without a shirt — or any clothes for that matter — or for the way he held my waist and whispered in my ear when the electricity went out and I started fiddling with the light switch unsuccessfully, or for the way he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear before he kissed me the next morning. However, this isn't only physical. It's also about the way we burst out laughing when my neighbor interrupted us in the middle to ask if I had any electricity, which made me blush like a peach, and how he never talked down at me when we discussed art, how he smiled when I started a feminist rant because on my way home some guy almost ran his car into mine and called me names for it. Aside from that, there's the feeling that follows when we're together and I can't quite put into words, but is different than what I felt around my exes.

My surprise must be written all over my face because Klaus then adds, "Is that so hard to believe? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light… I enjoy you."

Eyes widening at his words, I continue staring at him. No one has ever told me they enjoy me. From my first sort-of boyfriend, Damon Salvatore, through my high school sweetheart Matt Donovan, and to Tyler, my last serious boyfriend — they all found me annoying at least in one point. I'm no longer someone who throws herself at anyone who tells her some pretty words like I did back when I was sixteen with Damon, but I don't think Klaus is just a sweet-talker. He didn't disrespect me once since we met for our blind date. It might have to do with the fact that he wants to get into my pants again, yet at least he's a decent person so far.

"Okay, where is this coming from?" I ask, my defenses raising. "You told me you're a lone wolf, that you don't like people enough to be in a relationship. And if you wanted a booty call, you should've—"

It takes him only a few steps to stand with his chest touching mine. My breath catches in my throat. Klaus pushes a strand of hair behind my ear while his nose and lips move across my cheek, making me wonder how I'm still standing.

"I like you, Caroline," he says in a low voice that causes goosebumps to cover my arms.

With a gentle push, I force Klaus to look right at me. "I like you too," I whisper.

He smiles, his dimples appearing and making him look more boyish. Then, the small space that's left between us closes and his hands hold me tight as I drown in our kiss. Klaus kisses me deeply and I am more than happy to do the same, feeling that it's almost like a proof of what we just said to each other. We only pull away when we're out of breath, and I can't help but smile as our eyes meet.

"I'm still too tired to offer you to stay for some action in bed, but how about dinner?" I ask, my hands moving to rest on his chest. Warningly, I add, "No funny business though."

Again, Klaus smiles. "I'll be on my best behavior," he replies, though his voice has a mischievous tone to it.

After another, shorter, kiss, I head into the kitchen. Wondering what I'm going to make helps keep the smile off my face, though I do steal a few glances at Klaus, simply to check on him. He seems positively comfortable, studying the picture frames that are placed under the living room's window. Then, I decide to fry some potato chips and meat cutlets. I also have leftovers from the salad that I made myself last night, which I hope Klaus can forgive me for giving him. The room fills with the smell of food and my stomach grumbles as I'm about to head to the dining table and put the salad there. However, Klaus gets in my way and takes a hold of the bowl. He looks up to study my reaction, slightly smiling. The control freak inside of me tells me to decline his silence offer to help and do things the way I'm used to by myself, only I ignore it and let him take the salad.

We start a pattern of me getting out plates, glasses and silvery and Klaus taking it from me until he seems to memorize where they're all placed. It allows me to focus on cooking, though his presence in my apartment is distracting. That, and comforting. I don't have any knowledge in psychology, but I wonder if he likes being in control as well, especially when he finishes his part and watches my efforts in the kitchen, gently advising me here and there on how he thinks something needs to be done.

"We make a good team," I comment playfully when I grab the last thing that is missing from the set table; ketchup. "I saw you looking at my photographs earlier, by way. Any particular reason why?"

My curiosity seems to amuse Klaus as he brings me to a stop next to him by putting his hand on my hip. "Well, one should know he's dating Miss Mystic Falls," he says, his eyes focusing on my lips for a moment.

_Of course, he brings _this_ up out of everything_, I think and roll my eyes. "Funny," I say sarcastically. "Dinner is waiting."

"Indeed," he mumbles and two seconds later his lips are on mine.

Any other complaint that I might have about dinner waiting for us disappears and I let myself enjoy the warm feeling of his touch. The only thing that keeps me aware of our surroundings is the bottle of ketchup in my hand, however, by pulling Klaus after me, I get closer to the counter. While I stop the kiss to look to the side, Klaus moves his lips to my neck, allowing me to throw the bottle on the counter. Then, with one hand in his hair and another one on the side of his neck, I pull him into another kiss, feeling how my crush on Klaus is growing, and we both lose any sense of where we are of what we're supposed to do.


End file.
